Chip The Canine Protector Killed By Vicious Bees

Tonight, we begin with a heartbreaking tale of a fierce protector who was felled by a ferocious swarm of killer bees. Chip the dog has spent his life guarding his family and his yard. But when it was invaded by killer bees, there wasn't much he could do. They swarmed and ultimately killed him, leaving his family distraught.

But the bees stung indiscriminately, sending street sweepers scrambling as well. Our Clifford Mejia was on the scene - dodging bees himself - and Courtney Menzies has this story - we warn sensitive viewers that the story does depict a dead animal.

This is the heart-wrenching moment when 4 year old Chip's owner realized that there was nothing he could do, he believed canine companion had just been killed by a swarm of killer bees. He makes futile attempts to resuscitate his beloved pet, trying to come to terms with what just happened.

Chip was attacked by bees that had been swarming an area around Lizarraga Avenue early this afternoon. We found many still buzzing in the area - and just moving him out of the attack zone was a tactical task for this dog owner - who had to constantly be spraying repellent to fend off attacks.

According to another of his owners, Chip took his job as guard dog very seriously - neither bark nor bite could hold them at bay.

Voice of: Son-In-Law
"Really jovial dog, very territorial, but he's a security dog, so that's what he's for."

"Yeah, he's very loving. He loves water. He's very territorial. That's the main thing with him. He protects this yard, so we just lose one of our main security effort."

And for Chip's family, they never expected this to happen since they've never had a problem with bees before. And now they're asking for help before anyone else gets hurt.

Voice of: Son-In-Law
"We've been here for almost seven years because we practically rent from the owner, so we've been here for seven years, and it's the first time that we actually had an encounter with bees."

"I just really want some help for dealing with these bees. I know it's a very unfortunate scenario. It could have happened anywhere. It just happened in our area. So we're just really asking for some assistance to at least fumigate the area, so passerby's can actually pass through as well, because it's a health risk and stuff for them as well."

"Any school children and anything passing by here, they'll definitely get stung and stuff as well. My fiance, she's deadly allergic to bees, so even if she gets one sting, her entire throat sees closed up, and it's going to be a very, very hard tragic incident."

"She lives here as well with us, so we probably will have to relocate her at a hotel for the time being there somewhere because we don't really have family members here. all of them is either out of the country and stuff like that."

City Council street sweepers who were working in the area were also forced to take cover as bees began swarming them - and one of the workers went down:

Voice of: City Council Employee
"When I was working with the Belize City Council team, we were cutting the grass. Well, one of the co-workers was cutting the grass, and then I saw him fell on the ground because of a bee nest that attacked him. And we run when we saw him fell, but before we run from away from him, we would check on him that he is okay. And after that we start running from the bee nest, so that they do not attack us. It also killed a dog from the neighborhood as well. It sting like five of us. I get sting on my nose when I went to check on my co-worker, see if he is okay, and the other gets sting. Some of them get sting on their neck."

Voice of: City Council Employee
"They ask me why we left our co-worker there. But he was alright."

Reports are that BAHA arrived later this evening to remove the bees.

If you have a bee problem, call BAHA at 224-4794 or 804-2079.

Tracy Concedes October 20th Was A Mistake

The UDP, tonight they are no closer to being united or effective as an opposition - after a High Court judgement yesterday which was a split decision for Shyne Barrow and Tracy Panton. But, the judgement has divided the party even more, by emboldening Shyne Barrow, the leader who resigned and then returned.
And that's because he is vindicated in his central claim that Tracy Panton's October 20th convention was invalid. That was the court's clear finding.

Today, at her press conference, Panton, flanked by her party colleagues accepted the judge's decision:

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"The judge indicated that I was not lawfully expelled from the party. And he also indicated that we made some procedural missteps, where it related to the 20th of October, convention. And as a result of that the convention is deemed constitutionally invalid."

"We made a misstep. We recognize the decision of the judge and we will respect it, but we will move this party forward."

Jules Vasquez
"You said there were procedural missteps, but the entire undertaking was a misadventure, ill advised."

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"I completely disagree with you on that matter, Jules. October 20th brought together the base of his party. It brought together the decision makers of this party It brought together in record numbers because you were there, the supporters of this party who have a right to have a say in how the parties affairs are handled."

"It was crystal clear in the votes in the count of that vote, 334 to 13 that the base of this party and decision makers of this party and the supporters of this party who came up in record numbers, wanted to be heard. And so, in my mind, it's certainly achieved that."

Jules Vasquez
"So it was, in effect, a glorified rally."

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"No, I did not say that. I said it created a forum, a platform for the movers and shakers in this party, the people from the grassroots of the base to have a say in their party's affairs."

Shyne Says Tracy's UDP Membership Unsettled, She Says There's No Doubt

And while the matter of the convention is settled, the issue of Panton's party membership is being questioned by Shyne Barrow. Now, the judge clearly said she was unlawfully expelled but he refused to make a declaration on whether she remains a member of the UDP.

Speaking to the press at her divisional office, the three term rep said that can hardly be questioned:

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"If it was not valid, I was not expelled, I was not constructively resigned, I am a member of the party. I ran under the UDP umbrella. I won under the UDP umbrella. I have been appointed as leader, as leader of the opposition under the UDP umbrella. I think you have the answer."

"It is not for any court to step within a membership organization, a political organization and tell the membership how it ought to be to conduct its affairs."

Panton Working With Vice Chairman To Convene NPC

And while Panton is clear on her membership - now she has to work with the sole and rightful presence in the Chairman's post, and that is Alberto August. He's the Vice Chairman who stepped up after Mike Peyrefitte resigned. She now turns to him after her October 20th convention replaced him. Since that was ruled invalid, she has been in talks with August - who is the only one that can trigger a National Party Council meeting:

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"In my conversations with Alberto August, earlier this morning, yesterday and in in fact, earlier this week, there was an agreement and he wrote to me formally to say, we will proceed with an NPC. And at that NPC, a date will be determined for the leadership convention to be held."

"I don't believe that the way forward with Mr. August is going to be contentious because he does not determine it alone. It is the decision makers of this party, the membership of the National Party Council who will make this determination. I have a meeting along with Hugo Patt tomorrow with Alberto August in Belmopan."

"The party belongs to the people, and it is the decision makers of this party, the delegates and the caretakers and the executive chairpersons and the secretaries and all those who are asked to make decisions on behalf of this party who will make the determination when we convene at the NPC."

"We have to find a way forward. My colleagues, the ones I have spoken to since all of this came to a head, are steady in their resolve that we have to find a way forward. We have to move forward. We need a leadership reset."

If Shyne Isn't Leader, Does It Fall To Hugo?

But, in the interim, before this meeting, and before a National Party Council meeting is called, does First Deputy Hugo Patt step into the post as leader?

Here's what Panton had to say:

Jules Vasquez
"Is it being observed that Hugo Patt is the rightful leader of the UDP at this time?"

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"Hugo Patt is deputy, first deputy party leader of the United Democratic Party."

Jules Vasquez
"Okay. Who is the leader? Shyne Barrow says he is."

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"The former party leader has no say in how we proceed. He lost his seat in Mesopotamia. He has resigned from the party as the party leader, and he is unable to assume any decision making, on behalf of the party, in whatever capacity he believes, delusionally, he still maintains."

Sheena Pitts, Panton Attorney
"There is no party leader, the former party leader not only lost his seat but he also resigned - a resignation that you cannot take back."

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"Well, I think the leadership will be determined when we have a leadership convention."

"In the absence of a leader, the deputy leader is asked to take on some of those responsibilities."

"But there is no leader of the United Democratic per se."

A War Of Words On Wave Radio And It All Happened Live

But Patt sure stepped up as leader today - when he pulled the plug on the WAVE morning show. The show is called "Fus Ting Da Mawning" - but today it was more like "fussing and fighting da mawnin" when Shyne Barrow appeared as guest - and clashed publicly with host Alfonso Noble who is a Panton loyalist. It was ugly, and it was live! Jules Vasquez watched through wincing eyes:

Vice Chairman Shuts Down Morning Show, Tracy Says Party Should Consult

This morning Panton suggested that the directive by Alberto August needs further discussion:

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"The acting chair has issued a statement to say..., that requires further discussion with other members of the leadership team, before we can all be in agreement. What we do agree on is that the circus has come town end, and this appetite for sensationalism and the salaciousness that the media seems to gravitate to will not be entertained. We have to get our house in order. We have to do that in the shortest amount of time, because we are in opposition and we have a duty, and we have a sacred responsibility to the people in this country to hold the administration, to account and to hold ourselves to account. And that is what we intend to do."

Notably, in all the fussing and fighting and litigating, the UDP has made no commitment to march with the unions tomorrow.

PM Invites Unions To Meet, They Say Answer Our Letters First

They may only be 8 weeks into their second term, but government is already locked in a major industrial dispute with the unions. And so the Prime Minister BriceÃ±o has invited them to dialogue. On May 6th, he wrote a letter to the Joint Unions inviting them to a meeting on May 13th. The meeting comes in response to a letter sent by the unions on April 22, outlining key demands related to salary adjustments, collective bargaining, and pension reform.
In a May 6 letter, the Prime Minister committed to engaging in dialogue, naming Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde and four other Cabinet ministers to represent the government in the upcoming talks. Briceno said government remains committed to resolving the unions' concerns through continued engagement.
But in a follow-up letter dated May 8, the unions-led by PSU President Dean Flowers, BNTU President Nadia Caliz, and APSSM President Sharon Fraser-asked the Prime Minister to provide a detailed meeting agenda and written responses to previous proposals by May 12. They noted that without those materials, the talks would not be productive.
Among the unions' main demands are an 8.5% salary adjustment for pensioners, teachers, and public officers, and a new collective bargaining agreement framework submitted last November.

If it proceeds, the outcome of next week's meeting could shape the course of ongoing public sector negotiations and determine whether labour peace holds or industrial action looms. To ratchet up the pressure, the unions are assembling members to stage a major national demonstration in Belmopan tomorrow - and we'll have full coverage on our live Facebook feed and in tomorrow night's news.

A Baby Friendly Space For Nursing Mothers At Call Center

Mothers of newborns are advised to exclusively breastfeed their babies for six months. But what happens when their 3 months of maternity leave are up and they have to return to work? Some may choose to go home to nurse during their lunch break - but then they must incur the added cost of transportation along with the stress of making it back within the hour.
It's added pressure on the mother's mental health, but for those at Transparent BPO, they now have the convenience of nursing right at work. The call center launched its lactation area today, where nursing mothers can have the space they need to take care of their child.

Courtney Menzies was at the opening and has this story.

Working mothers are often faced with the challenge of having to leave their breastfeeding child at home - most times at only 3 months - to return to their place of employment. The difficulties of that force many of them to stop breastfeeding, which can have adverse effects on their infant.

And that is the reason why one call center has taken the initiative by turning their establishment into a baby-friendly space. Transparent BPO today launched their lactation center - a cozy, private area for breastfeeding mothers to use during the day, eliminating at least one worry. According to the COO, the suggestion was made by the employees.

Eric Petty, COO, Transparent BPO
"It really started locally so the team here on the ground saw a need. we employ a significant amount of women as a percentage of our workforce and we saw them having to make difficult choices and that was really the genesis of putting this together and we put a lot of thought into it. Hopefully, as everyone has toured the facility, they see that it is a warm and inviting place and I believe it will be a comfort to those women as they need to provide for their children in a nursing situation and hopefully will attract other to do the same in the community."

They partnered with the Ministry of Health to create the space. It aligns with the ministry's agenda to increase the breastfeeding rate from about 30% to over 90%. And nutritionist Robin Daly says that private sector partnerships are key to reaching this goal.

Robin Daly, Nutritionist, Ministry of Health
"This is a very big step because studies have shown, or interactions with mothers have shown that workplaces play a very big role with supporting mothers that are breastfeeding, because if the support is not there from the workplace, mothers feel they're only chance is to stop so having a workplace that supports women, support mothers, puts us in a position where we can safely say we expect breastfeeding rates to increase because there are opportunities now and there's more that's on the ground happening to support nutrition and breastfeeding."

"Breastfeeding forms the first part of nutrition for a child. It's the first immune response that was given to a child and it has major positive effects for fundamental growth patterns, brain development, the nutritional requirement, all the nutrients are in breast milk, and of course it's free. So it actually, there's an economic side to it as well so we try very hard to encourage mothers."

And now the mothers at TBPO will be able to use their breaks - or even get a little extra time in the day if necessary - to breastfeed or pump.

One expecting mother, who helped to design the space, says she can't wait to use it, especially since she had difficulties with her first child.

Shania Longsworth, Senior Trainer, TBPO Belmopan
"It's definitely a challenge that I'm sure many women have faced throughout the years but I'm lucky now that I don't have to worry about it this time around. We have the space now so I'm excited to be able to utilize it."

"It's truly a blessing to be able to work at a company like this that's prioritizing something that's important for their employees. This is the first place I've ever been where we actually have a safe space, a health environment, a clean environment that's able to store and support the nature of what we women do when we become mothers and are blessed to be able to grow their families so it's a real blessing."

"I've tested the couch, it's pretty comfy. They made sure to layout the space so there's enough areas where you can bring in your pump, you can store, you have everything there. There's even a cot so that if you have your infant with you, you have somewhere to put your child to rest, there's wipes, there's sanitary products, it's fully prepare. There's snacks, water, everything that we need to be able to feel comfortable and feel safe in a space."

And soon, she and other mothers will be able to have their kids close by with an in- house daycare.

Eric Petty, COO, Transparent BPO
"We're much further along in seaside with the daycare but we have plans and we've identified a location here as well. We've actually completely built out the location in seaside, we're working through the final details with the provider and having it right there on premises, we looked outside vendors, but we thought that as they utilize the service and it's right there at their facility where they work, one, they're in close proximity to their children if they need access to them throughout the workday they have that but also just that convenience."

Both TBPO locations in Belize City and Belmopan will have a lactation center.

Business owners that are interested in adding a similar space to their workplace can contact the Ministry of Health and Wellness for guidance and assistance.

Building The Future Of Tourism With A BOOM

The Belize Tourism Board today held a "Building On Our Momentum" Conference - which is marketed as a "high energy session" celebrating "the big wins of 2024-2025."
But the big wins could all be lost - regional tourism is at an uncertain time due to the changing political climate in the USA - which is Belize's major tourism market.

And so the marketing effort is being refined and adjusted to these new market realities. Jomarie Lanza found out more at the civic centre:

At BTB's Boom Conference today, partner agencies and tourism experts highlighted how artificial intelligence and travel intelligence platforms are transforming the tourism industry. They shared key strategies that could shape the future of tourism in Belize. We spoke with two of the presenters who addressed over 200 industry stakeholders:

Cole Zimmerman, Zimmerman Agency, Executive Vice President
"We are really focusing on the US market and what's happening in the US market right now with the political landscape and how we are going to overcome that. Some new things, some new exciting things for the year that Belizeans should be focused on: we are launching a new campaign called Belize Life Coach, it really focuses on the people of Belize as being the life coaches which is a really cool aspect to bring back to the community because it's bringing not only the marketing efforts in the US but bringing them home to Belize so people will be able to see it from both sides and it really blends into a full circle effect of our marketing efforts. We got a new website that is going to be launching this summer for Belize that is intact with AI, itinerary builders, it's got AI for searches so anything you are wanting to do or looking to do instead of going to a search platform. , which if anybody really looks at it search is going to be going away by 2025 everything will be a behaviour based on AI so we are actually asking questions like hey my family wants to go to a destination that offers cultural history, expiration and excursions and a beach destination where they are still familiar with US, Belize will be showing up with an entire itinerary built out for that person based on what their behaviours are from past behaviours and also the behaviours they are putting into their questions online and it's a really cool shift and we are trying to make sure that, we are calling it Belizean intelligence because it is making sure we are in the lead for innovation and I think along with a new website the campaigns and how we are targeting the Americans to come to the destination is going to make sure that we are successful for this year and future years."

Alycia Rey, Senior Vice President, Zimmerman Agency
"I think our PR efforts are worth noting because from a public relations standpoint we are really focused on earn media so while these guys are coming up with really brilliant creative strategies and placing ads through paid media and paid social on the PR side is his counterpart where we are making sure we are getting earned media which is essentially a third party endorsement for the country so what we are doing on the PR side is continuing to bring editors from a high yield, a high leadership and high value publications like travel leisure, national geographic, New York Times magazine bringing them to the destination to experience It first Hand because as Cole mentioned there is so much to see and do here there are so many different angels and stories to be told from the Belize standpoint so I think it is worth noting that PR plays a really big role in that as well."

Keynote speaker Seth Borko the Director of Research for Skift gave us more details on how the platform can be used to analyze tourism trends in Belize.

Seth Borko, Director of Research, Skift
"Skift is one of the leading travel intelligence platforms out there so what that means is we do news, we do events and we do market research, we also do some consulting. I lead our research team and so I'm here working with the Belize tourism board here at boom to talk about some of the big picture trends what are the ideas and things that are happening in the tourism industry that we want the leaders of the Belize tourism industry to be aware of so we do a lot of market research we do consumer surveys we do economic data we do financial data that sort of thing so that is what I'm here to share with the leaders of the Belize tourism community."

The BOOM conference was followed in the afternoon by the Belize Airlift Development Conference.

And tomorrow will see the 9th Digital Marketing Summit.

Charged For Murder Of School Teacher 3 Months Later

Police have charged a second man for a murder that happened in February. 23 year old teacher Simon Arana Jr. was shot and killed while socializing at his friend's house in Hope Creek village. Police charged one man in February and now they have charged another. He is 34 year old Owen Rhaburn who was formally arrested and charged for the Crime of Murder and will now go on remand.

Young And Determined Single Mother Gets Home For Her Kids

Tonight, a young and determined single mother - now has a roof of her own to put over her children's heads. And it didn't come easy for Rashida Messam who, at one point, had to leave her kids with their dad but she didn't have the means to house them.
But now she has been blessed with a house, and her kids can finally all live together under the same roof. Today Hand in Hand Ministries in partnership with Heritage Bank handed over their 13th home for the year. Jomarie Lanza was there for the handing over and here's her report.

Fantasy 5 Makes Strong Come Back With Half A Mil Winner

If you're a Fantasy 5 fan then you probably know that the winner of the $561,000 jackpot claimed his prize this week, and today the cheque was officially handed over. It's the first jackpot win since 2023 and the highest it's ever been, and when we met the lucky winner today he told us he came close to winning in the past, but this time he finally managed to get all the numbers thanks to a quick pick.

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